Two more children have been killed by the mysterious hepatitis epidemic that has gripped Europe.
Spain’s health experts claim that the illness is of unknown origin.
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According to the Ministry of Health, the victims were a Murcia boy aged six years and an Andalusia baby of 15 months.
Both had received liver transplants that were unfortunately unsuccessful.
It was revealed in May that 12 children died due to the illness.
It was just revealed that 15 children in the UK had needed a transplant because of the illness.
This year, 274 cases were detected (four of which have not been confirmed), and there are hundreds more worldwide, which is far beyond what is normal.
The UK is seeing a decline in cases, so there is some hope for the end of the epidemic.
And scientists have made a breakthrough in their investigations, discovering the source of what was a mystifying epidemic.
They now believe the cause was a surge in viruses and bugs when the Covid restrictions were lifted.
Two specific viruses have been blamed – adeno-associated virus 2 and adenoviruses, a group of common bugs that cause colds or diarrhoea and vomiting.
When combined, they are thought to trigger liver damage in some children.
Spain is the country where most recent deaths occurred. Authorities have confirmed that there have been cases in ten other regions.
The majority of cases, up to 60%, have been reported so far by the investigators.
Six-year-old boy, who tragically lost his life, had suffered from symptoms since July 2.
He was then transferred to Madrid on July 18 for a live liver transplant.
He died on the 29th of July after a transplant.
These are the 10 signs of Hepatitis.
- Dark urine
- Poo of pale, grey colour
- Itchy skin
- Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice).
- Muscle and joint pain
- A high temperature
- Feeling and being sick
- Feeling tired and unusually fatigued all the time
- A loss of appetite
- Tummy pain
The baby, 15 months old, was admitted to the hospital with gastroenteritis at the end June. He was also positive for adenovirus.
He needed an urgent liver transplant, and he also died within 24 hours.
Study results have shown that the coronavirus is not responsible for the positive rates in children with hepatitis.
Dr Meera Chand, Director, Clinical and Emerging Infections UKHSA, stated that the problem has been solved. “complex”.
She said: “Multiple strands of investigation point towards the possibility that several different factors have combined to cause severe illness in some children.
“It’s important to remember that it’s very rare for a child to develop hepatitis and new cases associated with this outbreak have now declined.
“UKHSA continues to work with academic and international partners to understand why this cluster occurred and any future risks.”